FULLERTON – Jim Donovan isn't going into his job as Cal State Fullerton athletic director with his eyes closed.

Having grown up in Anaheim and with a dad who graduated from there, he's seen too much to be fooled by the school's shortcomings.

Still Donovan, who takes over Dec. 30, believes he can turn the Titans into must-see sports with limited resources, and hard work. He stressed winning, finding corporate donors and building long-term relationships during his introductory news conference Thursday at the Titan Student Union.

"This is a challenge," said Donovan, who grew up less than a mile from Disneyland. "It's something that will happen over time. It's not going to happen Jan. 31, 2013, but maybe by Jan. 31, 2015, we will be able to put a plan together for additional support and we can work with students to get more support, too.

"I'm a realist. It's going to take a lot of hard work."

Donovan arrives from University of Hawaii, where he was athletic director from 2008 until recently. At the Division I football school, he worked with the state's legislature and private sectors to fund various facility improvements totaling $25 million. That included a $5 million donation that went to building a new football and track complex.

He also started the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl and secured conference affiliations with the Western Athletic Conference, Conference USA and the Pac-10 (now Pac-12). Additionally, Donovan negotiated contracts with television and radio stations and advertising packages.

Donovan faces different obstacles at Fullerton, namely working with a tight budget within a cash-strapped Cal State University system. Fullerton has an operating budget of roughly $9 million.

Yet, he is not put off by the financial challenges or lack of student involvement. Donovan said for his ideas to work, there needs to be a "three-pronged approach of responsibility" on the campus.

"The three prongs are the school and institution, it's the student body and athletic department, and the donors and corporate donors," Donovan said. "They've worked very hard on the third prong here for many years, but the students are what we are going to have to work with and the administration is going to have to figure out a way to support."

Donovan said finding student support shouldn't be difficult considering the 2,000-3,000 students who live on campus and another 3,000-4,000 who live near the campus.

"We have to figure out a way to make it more attractive for those 5 to 6,000 to show up to events. Part of it is just asking: What can of things can we do?"

The new athletic director said he proposes raffling off a trip to Hawaii for the student who attends the most sporting events. He would use his own frequent flier miles to fund the trip.

"(We need to do) anything that makes them come out, because ... that (attendance) is critical," Donovan said.

Donovan said building a new basketball arena also is important, but isn't high on his current agenda.

"It's something I would love to see," he said. "Hopefully we can put it in our 3-to-5 year plan. But it's not going to happen without administrative support, so the realistic thing is to continue to improve Titan Gym the best we can until something like that gets improved.

"It's critical, but there are economic realities within our state."

For all the good Donovan accomplished at Hawaii, he left under amid a controversy that cost him his job.

Donovan was placed on administrative leave last July and reassigned within to the Chancellor's office after $200,000 went missing after a botched Stevie Wonder concert. The concert, which would have benefitted Hawaii athletics, reportedly was scheduled without the singer's knowledge and was cancelled. The deposit money, however, already had been wired to an agent in Miami.

Donovan was cleared of any wrongdoing after an internal investigation a month later, but not reinstated as athletic director. His unspecified role at the school involved marketing and community relations.

User Agreement

Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial
slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about
tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to
allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to
republish your name and comment in additional Register publications
without any notification or payment.